Society That Respects Women

Today, countless women are suffering from deprivation of socio-political rights and inequality in different parts of the world. The problem of women still remains a serious matter of international concern.

However, in the people-centred socialist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, women are leading a happy life under the care of the state, enjoying the dignity as a flower of the times and of the country.

The country provides all the women equally and fully with all their rights as social beings, including the rights to work, rest, and free education and medical care as well as political freedom and rights.

The Korean women, as masters of the country, are taking active part in the socio-political activities with an equal right with men, including those of administering the state; irrespective of job, property status and intellectual standards, they have the right to elect and to be elected, many of them including labour innovators being elected as deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly and other power organs at all levels, and exercising their right to express their opinions on state administration.

Today, the number of women is increasing at important posts in different fields and units including state and economic organs, scientific, educational and public health organs and cultural institutions.

The Socialist Constitution, Law on Family, Public Health Law, Socialist Labour Law, Law on the Nursing and Upbringing of Children and other laws and regulations of the state provide a legal guarantee for the positions, roles and rights of women.

The Korean women enjoy special state and social benefits.

The Pyongyang Maternity Hospital provides an eloquent proof of this.

This comprehensive medical service centre for women delivers babies and treats gynecological disorders free of charge. Women, who are admitted to this hospital for delivery, go back homes with their healthy babies after clearly being cured of even the diseases unknown to them still then. Parents with many children are presented with gifts including gold rings and silver daggers, and women who gave birth to many children are awarded the title of Mother Hero.

The Breast Tumour Institute under this hospital conducts check-up of women across the country with state-of-the-art medical facilities and provides the women diagnosed to be suffering from mammary diseases with efficacious medicines at state expense.

Fringe benefits are also given to the women.

A typical example is the state benefit given to them in their labour life.

The country makes sure that comprehensive labour safety measures are taken for women in state organs, factories, enterprises and social and cooperative bodies. In particular, back-breaking and hazardous labour is forbidden for them, and more stable and favourable working conditions and environment are provided to those with nursing babies and pregnant ones.

It provides the working women with such conditions that ensure they can take an active part in social labour, and builds on a preferential basis nurseries, kindergartens and amenities lest they experience inconvenience in their work. Working women with more than three children work for fewer hours than others, but they receive the same wages as theirs.

And it gives prominence to the women with many children, accords them preferential treatment and takes special measures for protecting them.

Recently, women who gave birth to more than three children have been issued with a special certificate for medical treatment; as a part of this measure, not only the women but also their husbands and their children, who are yet to graduate from senior middle school, can get medical service at any hospital.

How the country respects women can be clearly seen through a grand congratulatory performance held for them in the presence of the national leader to mark the International Women’s Day and the palace-like hostels built by the state for the working women and the parties arranged for them at these hostels.

Under such benevolence, the women are working free of inconveniences, displaying their talents and wisdom, for the prosperity of their country in different fields including industry, agriculture, national defence, art and literature, education and public health.

Among them are scientists, farm managers who have opened up a new phase in farming in the northern highlands and east coast areas, athletes who have exalted the honour of their country with gold medals, medical workers who have snatched patients from the jaws of death by donating their blood and bones, and road maintenance workers in remote mountain areas.

The DPRK should be called a country where the dignity and rights of women are provided at the highest level in the grand flower garden of prioritizing and respecting them.